Sea-based transportation and load handling system

ABSTRACT

Sea-based transportation and load handling system, comprising a ship of the catamaran type, having two hulls being arranged at a distance from each other and a deck (4) connecting the upper portions of the hulls, where the hull sides of the hulls are facing each other and being adapted for moving a load unit (2) in between the hulls, the load unit (2) substantially occupying the space between the hulls, and couplings (5) being arranged in the sides of the load unit (2) and in the hull sides to ensure interconnection of a load unit (2) with the two hulls of the catamaran.

The present invention is related to a sea-based transportation and loadhandling system, according to the preamble of the claims.

Sea transport of large load volumes, especially long distancetransportations, have substantial advantages above other transportationpossibilities. Within bulk, general cargo and tank transportation manyand large efforts have been made to minimize the harbour time for theships during loading and unloading. The capacity of the differentharbours also to a high extent decide the harbour time for the ships,the length of the quay as well as the land based cranes used by theships.

In many cases transportation is performed as total ship loads from oneplace to another, in other cases parts of the load are loaded orunloaded in different harbours. In both cases the ship, with itstransportation capability rests and is not used in periods of loadingand unloading. Even if the harbour time is utilized also for bunkering,maintenance and repairs, the harbour time is much longer than needed forsuch operations, due to the time for loading and unloading.

Different systems have been developed for acceleration of loading andunloading operations, such as large quick operating cranes, advancedcontainer cranes and other load handling systems.

With the system according to the present invention, the harbour time forships is substantially decreased for loading and unloading as loadingand unloading are performed before and after the ship visits a harbour.These advantages are achieved with the transportation system accordingto the present invention.

With the transportation and load handling system according to thepresent invention, a possibility is provided to execute loading andunloading when the need exists or when the capacity for loading andunloading is present. The system is very flexible as to the type of loadand in relation to arrival and departure times for ships as the loadunits according to the system is waiting to be transported, the loadingis completed, or opposite, the units may wait until unloading is made.The system can be utilized for which ever type of load, such as gas,oil, bulk or cargo.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing discloses in FIG. 1 schematically a cross section of a shipconstructed according to the transportation system of the presentinvention, FIG. 2 discloses a vertical longitudinal section of the shipin FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 discloses an example for utilization of thetransportation system according to the present invention, adapted foroil transport.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The principle of the transportation system is disclosed, especially inFIGS. 1 and 2. A ship hull 1 of the catamaran type has adapted theopening between the two hulls for receipt of a load unit 2. The twohulls of the catamaran are connected with each other at the uppermostarea with a deck 4 on which the superstructure of the ship is arranged,however not disclosed in the drawing.

The load unit 2 and the catamaran 1 are interconnected by lifting thecatamaran so much by means of the ballast system of the catamaran, thatthe load unit 2 can be floated into the room between the two hulls ofthe catamaran 1, whereafter the catamaran 1 is lowered onto the loadunit 2.

The load unit 2 substantially fills out the open space between the twohulls of the catamaran 1 and is connected with the hulls of thecatamaran by means of correspondingly adapted connections 5 which may bedesigned based on suitable principles and remote controlled from theship bridge.

The catamaran 1 is provided with a bow 3 which is common for both hullsand cover the open space between the hulls, respectively cover the hullsand the load unit 2. The bow 3 is removed from the bow portion of thecatamaran for the purpose of manoeuvring the load unit 2 in or out ofthe space between the catamaran hulls. Preferably the bow 3 is tiltableas disclosed in FIG. 3, thereby to push or pull the load unit 2 in orout of the space. Even the bow 3 is secured to the catamaran 1 and theload unit 2 in a suitable way by means of couplings not disclosed in thedrawing.

Preferably a stern 6 connects two hulls, especially for large scalecatamarans 1. The stern 6 thereby covers the stern of the load unit 1and in all cases part of the two hulls and provides the catamaran 1 withthe necessary rigidity.

The load unit 2 also can be provided with ballast tanks as anindependent unit. When the load unit 2 is to be moved into the hull ofthe catamaran, the load unit 2 thereby can use its ballast system incooperation with the ballast system of the catamaran, in such a way thatthe load unit can be moved into the hull of the catamaran and by meansof the ballast systems can be connected to each other by means ofcouplings 5, whereafter the bow 3 is tilted into place and likewiselocked with couplings.

Serious demands are connected with the couplings 5 which may beconstructed based on different principles. The couplings 5, however,must connect the hulls and the load unit to one unit in such a way thatduring transport this unit substantially has the same properties as aship with only one hull. This is achieved with coupling units which canbe basicly mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electromagnetic, electric,electronic or such or combinations of such.

The load unit 2 can be arranged or parked suitably for receipt ofdifferent types of load. By means of a special load ramp or trap doorthe load unit 2 may be arranged at a quay by means of suitableconnections and the load unit thereby can be utilized for loading andunloading according to the row-row-principle and to be loaded andunloaded independently of the arrival and departure times for thecatamaran. The load unit 1 furthermore also very easy may receive carsand other vehicles for operation as a ferry by arranging the load unitat a quay with a trap door corresponding to the row-row-solution.

FIG. 3 discloses schematically the transportation system adapted foroffshore oil transportation. A load unit 2 is moored to a buoy oranother type oil transfer unit and is collected when the load unit isfull. The load unit 2 is brought into the hull opening of the catamaran1 by means of the ballast systems of the catamaran and possibly of theload unit.

Ventilation plant, cooling plants and other may be arranged on the deck4 of the catamaran, preferably as modules. These are connected with theload unit in a suitable way when the load unit is firmly connected tothe catamaran by means of the couplings 5. In this way very easily thetype of the load may be considered as well as the security, such as forexample ventilation or cooling during transportation of oil, gas etc.

The transportation system especially is well suited for bulk transportand oil transport, but also in relation to known techniques or cargo,container transport, ferry operation and general cost line operation,the present invention has many advantages.

Load units 2 can be moored for loading and/or unloading wherebycatamarans 1 collects and bring other units to the same harbour,depending on the situation.

I claim:
 1. Sea-based transportation and load handling system, comprising a ship of the catamaran type, having two hulls being arranged at a distance from each other and a deck (4) connecting the upper portions of the hulls, and having a bow (3) and a stern (6), characterized in the hull sides of the hulls facing each other being adapted for moving a single load unit (2) in between the hulls at said bow (3) of said ship, the load unit (2) substantially occupying the space between the hulls, and couplings (5) being arranged in the sides of the load unit (2) and in the hull sides to ensure interconnection of a load unit (2) with the two hulls of the catamaran, said hulls and said load unit (2) thereby being joined into a sea-going unit having substantially the same properties as a ship having a single hull.
 2. System according to the preceding claim, CHARACTERIZED IN the stern of the two hulls being connected with the common stern (6) covering the space between the hulls.
 3. System according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN a common bow (3) covering the two hulls and the space between the two hulls and being adapted to be removable at least from the space between the hulls, thereby allowing transportation in and out of a load unit (2) from the space.
 4. System according to claim 3, CHARACTERIZED IN the bow (3) being adapted to be tilted up around an axis near the deck (4), being horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ship.
 5. System according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN suitable connection being adapted to lock the load unit (2) to the bow (3) and possibly to the stern (6) in such a way that one single seaborne unit is established.
 6. System according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN the load unit (2) being provided with a separate ballast system.
 7. System according to claim 6, characterized in said separate ballast system being remote controlled from said ship. 